Worst nightmare

When I was driving home yesterday evening, after playing Bridge, I thought I could smell smoke - even through the air conditioning in the car.  As I got closer to home, I could see flashing lights, both red and blue.

From my upstairs windows at the back I could see a very bright red glow in the sky. Fire engines (adding to the crews already there) raced past my home and then the police shut off the road.

The bright red glow and sparks subsided to a thick white smoke, and as the night wore on, this subsided.  It was raining heavily.

I saw what had happened in the cold and wet light of today. The roof had completely burned and was looking skeletal and black.

I'm a blipper but not a member of the paparazzi so I was wrestling with my conscience as I decided to go back with my camera.

A group of kids were talking and I heard the phrase "electrical fault"...... 

My heart goes out to the family whose home has been ruined.  I felt bad enough when my dishwasher set alight three years ago. Two crews turned out to help me and they were wonderful.  Earlier today a fire engine had still been around, and I suspect it was the firemen who had cleared away the skeletal shell. Maybe they have saved some of the rest of the house.

Our emergency services are magnificent and I don't think we always give them the credit they deserve.

My extra photo is of my very soggy poppy - the rain has turned them into a heap of pink.